In the post-COVID digital age, everyone seems to be in agreement that video conferencing is a useful and often essential tool for business communications. However, some businesses still prioritize in-person appointments, especially in fields dealing with highly personal information like healthcare and law.
You might wonder if it's worth it to invest in video conferencing equipment for your law firm or healthcare practice. If in-person appointments are still working well, why bother upgrading capabilities with video conferencing technology?
To help you decide if a teleconference system is right for your business, here's an in-depth comparison of video conference meetings and in-person appointments in the context of client service and quality patient care.
Tried and true, in-person appointments are still prevalent for many different industries. Many business owners consider face-to-face appointments to be more personal, encouraging more open communication.
The vast majority of all communication is non-verbal, so this holds up in the way of meeting client needs by understanding context. Along with non-verbal cues, some other benefits of in-person appointments include:
Along with these advantages, in-person meetings are also sometimes crucial to administer proper care or ensure total confidentiality. For these reasons, in-person appointments continue to have a place in modern client service in industries such as law and healthcare.
You might wonder why anyone would opt for virtual meetings when in-person meetups are feasible. However, when comparing the two, they both have benefits and drawbacks. If you ask any remote employee, they'll likely tell you that virtual meetings are also an essential capability in offering accessible, quality client service.
There are also several negative aspects of in-person appointments. Along with the economic barriers of requiring patients or clients to have access to a strong internet connection and a smart device, some drawbacks include:
It's a well-known idea that virtual meetings gained popularity due to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to slow infection rates.
Although this isn't as much of a glaring concern in the years following the pandemic, in-person meetings can still pose risks to the immunocompromised. Requiring in-person appointments can also create roadblocks for those unable to leave their homes due to limited mobility or reliable transportation.
As you might guess from their growing popularity, video conference systems have many benefits to users, both internally and externally. Staff can enjoy many different collaborative features enhancing workflows and lines of communication, and clients can get quicker responses from providers on-the-go.
Some additional perks of virtual meetings include:
Read more about the benefits of cloud communications capabilities in our blog: 5 Benefits of Moving to the Cloud With Your Business Tools. To see how this applies to healthcare, check out our guide: Healthcare Interoperability and How the Cloud Changes the Game.
Although video teleconference systems are continually improved upon, there are still some disadvantages to relying on this technology. Video conference platforms, like any tool, can come with configuration issues causing troubles with:
In addition to technical issues, video conferencing can pose barriers to patients and clients who aren't technically savvy, or don't have access to strong internet connections or smart devices with cameras and microphones.
If you want to avoid common roadblocks with video conferencing, a few tips to ensure smooth meetings include:
These are just a few ways you can mitigate common issues in video conferencing. To learn other common issues in video conferencing and how to mitigate them, check out our blog: 6 Common Issues with Video Conferencing and How to Solve Them
There are more video conference platforms than just Zoom or Microsoft Teams. More and more platforms emerge every year, and it can get confusing to pick the right one for your business. Some general guidelines for selecting the right platform include searching for:
To read an in-depth guide on all of the best virtual conference platforms on the market, read our blog: Top Video Conference Platforms for Small Businesses
If you're determined to upgrade your business's communication strategy, you'll need a solid understanding of the different virtual conferencing platforms and video conference room solutions available.
The basic video conferencing equipment for a conference room should include:
To read more about different video conference hardware on the market, read our blog: Best All-in-One Video Conferencing Equipment in 2025
Whether you're exploring all in one video conference systems to create a meeting room or you're looking for a new software solution for video calls, having a managed communications provider at the helm is essential.
These services will allow you to find the best solutions for your industry, company size, and unique needs, as well as help you seamlessly implement your chosen solutions.
If you're interested in upgrading your business communication strategy to enhance your client service or patient care, click the button below to get in touch with a managed communications expert.